Winter's Embrace
by SmilingArtist
Summary: As Konoha's getting ready for the upcoming Christmas party, Sakura finds herself feeling lonely as everyone busies themselves with preparations. However, she didn't count on finding company in the form of Hatake Kakashi. -KakaSaku-
1. Chapter 1

**Winter's Embrace**

**Summary: **As Konoha's getting ready for the upcoming Christmas party, Sakura finds herself feeling lonely as everyone busies themselves with preparations. However, she didn't count on finding company in the form of Hatake Kakashi.

**Pairing: **KakaSaku

**Genre: **Drama / Romance

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer: **The anime/manga _Naruto _and its characters belong rightfully to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One:<strong>

* * *

><p>Konohagakure no Sato was blanketed with a pile of fresh snow this morning. Winter had officially arrived. It was that time of the year again, where the inhabitants of nature would once again begin their hibernation, shinobi and kunoichi all around would finish up their last lot of missions before heading home to relax with a steaming cup of tea with their families, and villagers to begin with preparations for Christmas. Every year, Konoha would hold a Christmas party, which they would invite all allied villages to gather here in this village. The Christmas party lasts for the duration of about a week – starting for Christmas Eve to New Years. Of course, it went without saying that there were lots of events that would happen during this time, ranging from Secret Santa to BBQs. Everyone in Konoha was brimming with excitement as they eagerly began with preparations.<p>

That was, everyone but Sakura.

The glare of the kunai radiated off the sun as the weapon sped towards the log posts. A dull clanking sound was heard as the kunai embedded a few inches away from the bull's eye center of the target. A few metres away, a figure landed gracefully. The pallid snow crunched under the weight of black, knee-length boots. Sakura gasped for her breathe as she straightened up her posture. Pulling off her blindfold, her viridian green eyes surveyed the result of her target practice, tongue clicking with annoyance as she noticed her lack of aim. Sure she was no Tenten when it came to weaponry, but still the thought of her lack of progress with target practice frustrated her quite a lot. But who could blame her? With Tsunade and Shizune both busy with the preparations for the upcoming Christmas party, there was no one around to train her. Not that she needs more training in the medical department, as her healing abilities were on par with Shizune's. Although, that meant it was still below Tsunade's. Tsunade had once suggested to her that she would be better off perfecting other areas, namely her weaponry and Genjutsu. However, no progress as shown from her earlier display of weaponry.

A chilling gust of wind blew over Training Ground No. 3. Sakura shivered and wrapped her arms around her as bits of snow hit her body.

"Guess I should have gotten something warmer," she muttered. After all, sporting only a red zip-up, sleeveless top along with a pair of black spandex shorts, covered with a beige medic skirt was definitely not the way to dress on a typical winter day.

Feeling up for a warm cup of tea, Sakura sighed and collected up her used weapons. Putting them in her pouch, she left the training field.

The streets of Konoha were as busy as usually, if not, busier than before. Bustling with civilians and shinobi alike, Sakura had to weave her way through the crowd, while occasionally waving at the civilians that recognized her. After all, she was well-known for her medical abilities and kind personality in the hospital.

"Ahh, Sakura-san, good morning!" One of the ladies serving at the dango shop greeted as the pink haired kunoichi came in sight and situated herself on an empty seat at the corner of the shop.

"Morning, Asuka-san." Sakura graced the woman with a small smile. Due to her photographic memory, she was able to memorize the names and faces of many of the people in the village, something of which she used to be proud as a child.

"Our shop's been quite busy these days with Christmas coming up. My husband should be happy with all the customers that we'll be getting these next few weeks." Asuka chuckled in thought before giving Sakura a kind smile. "You shinobi must be busy still, despite the holidays."

Sakura shook her head. "Actually, Tsunade-sama has issued to us that we should finish off our missions these next few days so we can dedicate more of our time towards preparations."

"Oh, is that so?" the woman said kindly. "How kind of Hokage-sama. We're all so lucky to have someone like her as our leader. Oh, sorry, I'm blabbering. What would you like to have?"

"Mitarashi dango, anmitsu and green tea, please."

Asuka wrote the orders down and bowed politely before leaving.

Sakura's eyes drifted outside. A group of children ran about, laughing and having snowball fights, however their joy only lasted for a few minutes before a stern woman – which Sakura assumed to be their mother – came to get them. The kunoichi chuckled slightly at the puppy dog faces the children made. Oh, how she missed those days of her childhood, where she used to be able to frolic about without a care in the world. Those days were usually spent with her and Ino in the flower fields running around, picking flowers. However, the reminiscence of her childhood only brought a sad look to her face. Times have changed and people have changed. Even though Sakura secretly longed for the change to relive her childhood, she knew that it was a fruitless wish. Especially since Christmas was just around the corner.

"Well, if it isn't Sakura," a high-pitched feminine voice called.

Sakura jolted out of her thoughts and turned towards the direction of the voice.

"Ino?" the pink haired kunoichi said, shocked at the sudden presence of her best friend.

The said kunoichi grinned and sat down opposite her. "You looked shocked to see me, Forehead. What's wrong?" Ino asked, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

Sakura glowered at the blonde. "Quit calling me that, Pig. Nothing's wrong. Just… thinking," she finished lamely.

"Hm…"

However, lucky for Sakura, Asuka's presence saved her from her 'interrogation' with Ino. The woman set the two plates of sweets down along with her cup of green tea.

"Here you go, Sakura-san. Enjoy," Asuka said with a smile.

"Thank you."

The woman then turned to the newly arrived kunoichi. "Anything I can help you with, my dear?"

"Just a cup of green tea, thanks." Ino grinned, flashing out her row of white teeth.

Asuka nodded and left.

As soon as the woman was out of sight, Ino turned towards the pink haired kunoichi, who was quietly chewing on her dango. Sakura's eyes were downcast, as if she forgotten Ino's presence.

Ino sighed. "You know, if you eat that many sweets you're gonna get fatter than you already are," she teased.

The teacup in the viridian eyed kunoichi's hands cracked. Sakura glared at her. "Did you just call me fat, Ino-pig?" she seethed in rage. People around looked up at the bad-tempered kunoichi, startled at the sudden outburst.

The blonde gave off laughter full of mirth. "Hehe, gotcha there, didn't I?" She winked. "You know, I was starting to think if I'd lost you there a few moments ago."

Looking down into her tea, Sakura felt herself go a light shade of pink at all the attention she was receiving. _She __tricked __me__…_ Sakura thought, slightly embarrassed. Bringing the dango closer to a mouth, she took a small bite, savoring the taste. Slowly, a microscopic smile was brought to her face. She had to hand it to Ino to make her feel slightly better. It was times like these that Sakura realized how much she was grateful for Ino as a friend. Sure, the blonde liked to gossip about her life, annoy the hell out of her and call her insulting nicknames, but Sakura wasn't afraid to admit that she enjoyed Ino's company. Ino had this thing about her that always managed to cheer Sakura up in her times of distress. And that, Sakura was grateful for.

"You there, Sakura?" Slender fingers clicked in front of her face brought her out of her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing…" Sakura mumbled. "Thanks."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "You alright there, girl? Doesn't seem like you today," the blonde remarked, with a hint of concern in her tone.

Sakura shook her head. "I'm fine," she said firmly before taking a sip of her tea. "Aren't you suppose to help out with the shop?" she asked hastily, changing the topic.

Nodding a thanks to the woman who brought her the cup of tea, Ino let out a small sigh of bliss at the warmth before taking a small sip. "I am actually. Just… taking a break," Ino answered with a slight smirk. However, that turned into a frown at the dead-panned look that the pink hair kunoichi gave her. "What?"

Chuckling slightly, Sakura shook her head. "Nothing." She smiled.

"Hm… what about you then, Forehead?" Ino asked. "Don't you have training with Tsunade-sama today?" She took another sip of her steaming-hot tea, inwardly crying when the hot liquid burnt her tongue.

At the mention of Tsunade and training, Sakura sank deeper into her chair and laid her head on the table. "Tsunade-sama is busy with work. Same with Shizune-senpai," she muttered in a slightly bitter tone. "I'm pretty much a sitting duck right now with nothing to do."

A slender, blonde eyebrow was raised in bewilderment. "Just train by yourself," Ino stated as if it was the most obvious thing on earth.

The rosette grumbled something inaudible.

"What was that?"

Sighing, Sakura looked outside and spotted the kids once again playing in the snow. It seemed like their mother had fallen prey to their puppy dog faces. Seeing the joy on the faces of the children brought an indecipherable onto the kunoichi's face. "I'm… lonely, Ino-pig," she admitted clumsily, unable to find a better suited word to describe her mood.

Silence was her response.

Sensing the awkwardness in the conversation, Sakura settled for burying her head deep into her folded arms on the table. The anmitsu left uneaten.

A sigh from the Yamanaka female was heard a few moments later. "Sakura…" Ino gave a small smile. "You know that everyone's busy now, right? And you're a ninja, come on."

A weak grunt was given in response.

Ino gave her a thoughtful look before standing up and stretching her limbs. Looking down at the pink haired kunoichi, she shook her head. "Are you sure you're alright, Sakura? And here I thought I was going to invite you to my place tonight for some girly talks and a sleepover. Just like old times."

This caught Sakura's attention. Sakura raised her head to see Ino with her back towards her, about to walk out of the shop.

"Oh, well. Your loss then, Forehead," Ino declared with a dramatic sigh. However before she was able to take another step forward, Sakura's abrupt voice called out to her.

"Ino-!" The pink haired kunoichi found her voice caught her in throat when the blonde haired female turned back to her with her pupil-less blue eyes staring holes into her face. Sakura clenched her fist. What exactly was she suppose to say? Thank you for noticing my distress? Don't pity me? "I… I'll be there." Sakura settled for her answer.

To her surprise, the blonde haired kunoichi grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Great! See you there!" Without another word, she disappeared.

Releasing the sigh of breathe that she didn't know that she had been holding, Sakura sat back down on her chair. _Well__… __guess __that __went __well,_she thought as if weight had been lifted off her shoulders. However, it had only taken her a few seconds later to realize that the blonde had left Sakura with her bill.

"INO, YOU PIG! GET BACK HERE!"

* * *

><p>As he entered the room, Kakashi half expected the smell of sake to waft into his sensitive nose. However, there was none. Instead, he witnessed a sight that may very well have sent him into a state of shock. Tsunade, as far as he knew, was generally quite a lazy person, even more than him. Although she had her moments of which she was serious, and believe him, when she was she had the capability of protecting everyone in the entire village. He witnessed it before. However, most of the time, she was either seen drinking at bars or sleeping on the job. So, seeing her frantically doing paperwork was definitely a sight to see.<p>

Perhaps the years had changed her.

Closing the door behind him silently, Kakashi got on his knee and bowed. "Tsunade-sama," he called.

Tsunade glanced up from her paperwork. "Ahh, you've returned." She placed her brush down. "Mission report."

"Yes. Target has been apprehended and annihilated," he stated stoically.

The Godaime nodded. "Good work, Kakashi. It's good to have you back. Just in time too," she said with a contemplating expression on her face.

"Just in time…?" Kakashi took off his ANBU mask and raised an eyebrow.

A smile etched itself onto the blonde woman's features. "It's almost time for Christmas, Kakashi. Wouldn't want you running around chasing down missing-nin during this time of the year," she stated.

"Ahh." Kakashi's expression remained unchanged.

Tsunade sighed and picked up her brush again, ready to resume her work. "I expect a full written report by the end of the week. In the meantime, I want you to get a check-up at the hospital." She readied herself for the complaint that was soon to come.

Unsurprisingly enough, it did.

"There's nothing wrong with the Sharingan, Tsunade-sama. I don't think a check-up is necessary," Kakashi retorted defensively. Everyone knew how much he hated hospitals.

The blonde's eyes narrowed slightly as she clicked her tongue. "Kakashi, I'm giving you an order," she said calmly. "Go to the hospital. You've been away for almost three year now and I know how much you like to exert your Sharingan's abilities to the limit. Now go. I won't take no for an answer."

"…Understood, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi intoned, realizing it was futile to argue with the sannin. Hands clenching into a fist, he walked towards the door. "Now, if you'll excuse me." The door slammed shut as the Copy Nin walked out.

"I will be checking whether you've been there or not!" Tsunade's voice echoed from inside the room.

Kakashi shoved his hands into his pockets and began his trek to the hospital. Despite the fact that he had only been gone about three year, it felt a lot less than that. Perhaps it was due to the dangers that he had experienced during his mission.

Tsunade was right. He had exerted a lot more from his Sharingan than he ever had to in his life. After all, a mission to locate and apprehend Yakushi Kabuto, who had managed to escape at the conclusion of the Fourth Shinobi World War, was expected for Kakashi to give him all he had to kill him. Konoha discovered that Kabuto had gone into hiding and decided to send in an ANBU team to track him down.

After the war, everyone had resumed their normal lives. However, Kakashi had decided to return to ANBU due to the fact that Naruto and Sakura had improved quite a lot. He decided that they didn't need him around anymore, as he had done all that he could to help them in their path to becoming great ninjas. Of course, it was hard to convince Naruto to let him go. The stubborn blonde just refused to believe that their sensei was leaving them. Kakashi inwardly chuckled at the faces of disbelief that Naruto had made back then.

However, Tsunade had selected Kakashi's team to track down the S-rank criminal. So naturally, Naruto's objections towards Kakashi's decision had been fruitless.

And so, Kakashi found himself returning back to Konoha, after three years of absence. He wondered how much Naruto had changed. Was he still the brash and quick-tempered boy, or had he toned down his personality? Kakashi hope he did. And what about Sakura? Had she surpassed Tsunade in Medical Ninjutsu yet? Had she developed into a finer woman since he'd last saw her?

Thinking about those two had lit a spark of excitement deep within him. Perhaps, he should pay them a visit after his trip to the hospital. Inwardly, he wondered if he really should be going. However, remembering Tsunade's 'wise words of warning' he let out an involuntary sigh. He doubted that, even after three years, Tsunade's punches would have gone rusty. Not that he had plans to test that theory, of course.

His boots crunched along the snow as he walked onwards. _Christmas __was __drawing __near,_ he thought disinterestedly. Christmas had never really been one of the things that Kakashi celebrated. Never once did he found the thrill in Christmas celebrations. This particular time of the year had been boring to say the least for the ANBU Captain. Due to Tsunade's order of not sending the village's shinobi out on missions, Kakashi was stuck with nothing much to do. However, it was good to relax once in a while.

Kakashi smiled. It was just good to be home.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Wow, I haven't written a story in like… a year! It feels great to be able to write again with school and exams over and such. However, I think I'll just dedicate most of my time towards this particular fic as I have been reading quite a lot of KakaSaku fics lately that have got me hooked into this pairing. I've decided to try writing one myself. Hopefully this won't be too long-winded. Hope you guys enjoyed reading the first chapter! No KakaSaku in this fic yet but I promise that the next chapter will have lots. Just a note though, Sakura is nineteen in this story, which makes Kakashi thirty-three, in case you haven't figured it out already. Please review. Let me know what you thought of this chapter. See ya soon.

_-Setsuna_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

* * *

><p>"There you go," Sakura said cheerily, patching up the broken arm of a young boy. "Now next time don't run down the stairs."<p>

The boy, whose head bobbed up and down with a cheesy grin plastered on his face, hopped out the bed. He ran towards his anxious mother. His mother shot Sakura a look of gratitude before walking off with her son in her arms.

Sakura shoulders slouched as she let off a sigh. Kids these days, getting into all sorts of trouble. Then again, her generation was no better when they were that age. Especially Naruto and Kiba, they were a handful. Sakura smiled at the thought. Naruto had always managed to get himself into trouble, which resulting in him having to take weekly trips to the hospital. Of course, even after growing up, he was no better. If anything, he was more of an idiot than before, getting himself injured constantly.

She walked towards the receptionist and asked if there were anymore patients for her to look at. Recently, due to the cancellation of most missions, there had been less shinobi patients in the hospital. The ones that were around were just recovering from previous injuries, which most should be healed before Christmas. Nowadays, it was mostly just civilians that got themselves injured from work or kids playing about. Just minor one, usually. Nothing that posed as a challenge for Sakura.

"Ahh, yes, one just came in asking for a check-up. I told him to wait outside your office," the receptionist said, looking at the computer.

Sakura nodded. "Alright," she said. She proceeded towards her office, which was just around the corner. However, as soon as she rounded the corner, her body froze at the sight of the figure sitting outside her office with arms crossed over his armor-plated chest. The shock of his silver hair, which defied gravity, caught her attention.

"K-Kakashi-sensei?"

The said man froze at the sound of his name being called. His head turned towards the source of the voice, only to find a very familiar woman staring at him in shock.

Sakura's eyes glistened with tears. Before Kakashi knew it, he was tackled in a vice-grip hug from the pink haired kunoichi. He sat there awkwardly as Sakura buried her head into his plated chest as tears flowed freely and unashamedly down her face. All he could do was rub her back soothingly as the woman held him tightly.

"You're back," her voice managed to croak out, stating the obvious.

It was a miracle that Sakura was able to see Kakashi again. After he left on that mission that Tsunade assigned him, she began to lose hope that Kakashi was going to return after a year of his absence. Slowly, that period of time extended. Two years… then almost three. She had been afraid to admit to herself that he might have died. If it wasn't for Naruto's adamant belief on him being alive, Sakura would have lost hope completely. But now, seeing him alive and well right in front of her eyes was enough to bring fresh tears to her eyes.

Kakashi's eyes softened at the sight of her. "Yeah," he said with a small smile. "I'm back, Sakura."

Sakura lifted her head, showing him a face streaked with tears. A lone finger wiped her remaining drop of tear away from her eyes as she returned his smile with her own. "Welcome home, Kakashi-sensei..."

"Ahh…"

They stayed in the position awkwardly for a few seconds before Sakura broke off the eye contact, feeling a blush threatening to surface. Pushing open the door to her office, Sakura glanced at the silver haired shinobi.

"Well, you're here for a check-up right?" She smiled. "Come on in."

Kakashi followed her inside and the door clicked shut behind him.

Sakura directed him towards the lone bed in the room and instructed him to lie down, to which Kakashi obeyed without complaint. Sakura was one of the very few people that Kakashi allowed for people to order around in the hospital. The other being Tsunade, which went without saying.

"Alright, I'm going to examine your Sharingan for you, okay?"

Kakashi nodded and closed both his eyes as Sakura's chakra-filled hand placed itself on his eyelid. He twitched slightly at the prodding of her chakra, tenses up his shoulders as he felt a slight flare of heat within his eyes.

"Relax, sensei," Sakura's soothing voice instructed softly.

He found his shoulders relaxing involuntarily at her command. Her chakra seeped into his Sharingan eye and then Kakashi felt the cooling of her chakra. It felt nice.

Unfortunately for him, Sakura pulled her hand back a few seconds later. He found himself missing the touch more than he expected. Kakashi opened his eyes and saw a frown etched onto her facials. _Uh __oh__… _He thought. A trail of sweat ran down his neck. He didn't like that look on her face.

"Switch to Mangekyou Sharingan," she commanded, this time in a rougher tone than before.

He did as commanded and switched to the final form of the Sharingan. Immediately after doing so, pain shot through his eye and he twitched in response. Something of which Sakura didn't miss, even though she continued writing notes down on a clipboard. Kakashi's vision in his Sharingan eye began to grow blurry.

"Close your eyes."

Once again, Sakura's chakra-laden hand sent chakra into his eye as she began her observation. "You should really be careful, Kakashi-sensei. There's chakra burns all over your eye," she remarked. "Nothing I can't fix though."

Although there was no hint of pride in her tone, Kakashi managed out a chuckle. "Is that so? Then I shouldn't worry since I have a pretty little medic like yourself to take care of me," his baritone voice said craftily. However, all he got in return was a light tap to the head with her fist.

"Idiot. I'm not going to be there for you all the time, Kakashi-sensei. Learn to take care of yourself a bit more," Sakura scolded, although deep down his comment did affect her slightly. "How many times did you use your Mangekyou Sharingan?" she inquired softly.

Releasing a sigh, Kakashi gave her his reply. "More than I can count," he murmured.

Silence met his answer.

Once Sakura finished healing his eyes, Kakashi sat up on the bed. "Thank you, Sakura. I'm glad there's someone like you around to heal me," Kakashi said smiling. "You must be as good as Tsunade right now, aren't you?"

Feeling flattered at the compliment, Sakura turned a light shade of pink. "I'm not that great," she muttered. "Still not as good as Tsunade-shishou."

A gloved hand placed itself on top of her head and gave her hair a small ruffle. "Don't be modest, Sakura." Kakashi gave her a genuine smile. "Now then, time for me to take my leave. Thank you for your help, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes widened and her hands instinctively grabbed onto his arm, preventing him from leaving. "Hold it!"

Kakashi glanced down at her hands that held his arm in a vice-grip. "Hm? Is there something else, Sakura?" he asked curiously.

"Of course! I'm sure that you have other wounds that you need me to tend to. It's impossible for you to remain unwounded for three years with no medics present." Sakura glared up at the silver haired ninja. "Now strip!"

Kakashi almost choked when he heard that. "What?" he asked incredulously.

Sakura, realizing what she had just said, reddened more than she previously had. "No! That's not what I meant! I, uh…" Feeling completely embarrassed, Sakura found herself tongue-tied, unable to get the right words out.

Seeing her in her flustered state, Kakashi chuckled. "Alright then, Sakura." Slowly, he pulled off his ANBU armor along with his red scarf and shin and arm guards until he was left with a simple sleeveless, black turtle-necked shirt and grey pants. Of course, that damn mask was still covering his face.

It only occurred to Sakura then that Kakashi was not wearing his hitai-ate, which exposed his lone Sharingan eye and made his silver hair spike up even more. Somehow, she liked this kind of attire more. However, the sight of Kakashi pulling his shirt over his head made her lose track of her thoughts. "Wh-what are you doing?" Sakura stuttered out, eyes widened.

"Stripping for you, Sakura. Like you requested," Kakashi stated calmly, although couldn't help the small smirk crawling onto his face.

If possible, Sakura grew even redder than before. She cursed herself for her lack of control. _I __must __rival __a __tomato __now! _She thought flustered. Seeing Kakashi standing in front of her with nothing but a pair of pants on (and the mask), exposing his well-toned chest was enough to make her blush senselessly.

_Oh, __come __on. __It__'__s __not __like __I __haven__'__t __seen __another __man__'__s __chest __before. __Kakashi-sensei__'__s __shouldn__'__t __be __any __different. _Sakura tried to convince herself mentally. Coughing slightly, Sakura's blush faded and she resumed a half serious, half flustered look. "I'll check for any outer injuries first, then inner," she mumbled, still slightly embarrassed.

"Ahh," Kakashi intoned and allowed her chakra-filled hands to roam across his chest. Inwardly, he shivered at her ghost-like touches and from the coolness of her chakra. It felt…good.

As she continued her inspection, focused on her task, Kakashi was given the chance to observe her closely. The first thing that he noticed was that she gained a couple more inches to her height. The last time he saw her, her head just reached his chest. But now, she reached his shoulders. Her hair had also grown a bit longer now, of which she kept in a messy ponytail. Her bangs framed her pointed face, giving her a softer look. Somehow, Kakashi liked this look of hers a lot more. Not that he was going to tell her.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Her voice called.

"Hm?"

"I've healed the scars left behind from your mission and there are no internal injuries from what I can tell." She smiled and gave him a pat on the back.

Kakashi's eyes creased into a smile. "Thank you, Sakura." He put his shirt back on as well as his ANBU gear. "Guess I should head home now."

"I'll walk with you," Sakura blurted out without thinking.

The ANBU Captain chuckled, which made Sakura glare slightly. "I'm pretty sure I'll be fine by myself, Sakura. No need for you to dirty your hands to protect me," he said teasingly.

"My apartment is on the way… and my shift has ended now," Sakura said truthfully as she shifted awkwardly in her spot.

Kakashi looked thoughtful. "Hm… well if that's the case, then I'll be happy for you to escort me home," he said cheerfully.

Sakura nodded with a grin.

The two of them left the hospital, along the way passing the receptionist, who raised a curious eyebrow at the sight of the two shinobi.

Their walk to Kakashi's apartment had been quieter than Sakura would have liked. But she enjoyed Kakashi's company, despite this barrier of silence between them. However, in a way, Sakura was grateful for the reticence. Ever since she was a genin, Sakura had always respected Hatake Kakashi. She looked up to him, aspired to be like him one day. When she wasn't chasing Sasuke around, of course. When she reached chuunin, that admiration she had towards him never faded, despite the fact that he had given her the least amount of attention during Team Seven's genin days. She didn't mind though, nor did she ever blame Kakashi. Tsunade and Shizune had been there for her as well as Ino. She had reached jounin during the time of Kakashi's absence. But now, she didn't know what she thought of him anymore. Sakura admitted to herself, that she and Kakashi may not have been as close as she would have wanted back then. However, there was always a chance to change that, right?

"Ahh, Sakura. I found you," a male's voice called out to her.

Sakura turned around to see Shikamaru standing behind her and Kakashi with his hands in his pockets.

"Welcome back, Kakashi-senpai," he greeted the ANBU Captain.

Kakashi nodded in greeting, showing his respect for the young genius. "Nice to see you again, Shikamaru."

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Sakura inquired, curious as to what Shikamaru wanted.

The Nara male picked his ear with his finger; his face was painted with annoyance. "Ino wanted me to pass on a message to you. She said sorry but she got caught by her mother slacking off earlier today, so she's unable to meet up with you tonight… Something along those lines," he conveyed. "Sheesh, that troublesome woman," he muttered.

_Oh… _

A wave of disappointment washed over her as she gave Shikamaru a small smile, which was laced in obvious sadness. "Alright, thanks for passing on the message, Shikamaru," she said softly.

Shikamaru noticed her change in mood but didn't comment. It was too troublesome to ask, anyway. Giving her and Kakashi a nod, he disappeared. "So troublesome…" A sigh was heard.

The two shinobi continued walking. Kakashi glanced down at the pink haired kunoichi, noticing her slight downcast expression. "What's wrong, Sakura?" he asked.

Sakura, startled at the sudden question, looked up with widened eyes. "Nothing's wrong," she said defensively. "I'm just… thinking."

"Hm…" Kakashi gave her a calculating expression, which made her turn her gaze away.

Moments later, they reached Kakashi's apartment.

"Well, I guess I'll head my way then," Sakura mumbled, still not looking up at Kakashi.

Kakashi smiled through his mask and placed a hand on her shoulder. "How about we go out for dinner tonight?" he suggested. "It'll nice to…hang out with you again after all these years."

Viridian eyes widened. Kakashi was going to invite her out to dinner? Was she dreaming? Mutely, she nodded, unable to find her voice.

The Copy Ninja's eyes creased into a moon-shaped smile. "Great. I'll meet you…here at 7PM? Since I don't know where you live," Kakashi announced.

Sakura could only nod in response.

"Alright, then. I shall take my leave then." Without waiting for her reply, he disappeared into his apartment, leaving Sakura behind speechless.

_Kakashi-sensei__'__s __inviting __me __out __to __dinner? _She thought astounded. All her previous thoughts on Ino were now forgotten. Sure Kakashi had invited her out to dinner before, but that was different. That had been with Naruto and Sasuke. He had never invited herself alone before. The thought of this confused her. Why was he suddenly this open to her? Was he just taking pity on her like Ino or was it something else? Sakura didn't know.

But one thing was for sure. If Kakashi was inviting her out, then maybe… she would get the chance to find out what he was really hiding beneath that mask.

At this, Sakura smirked. Perhaps this outing with Kakashi won't be so bad after all. Not if she could see his real face.

_Dinner with Kakashi-sensei, huh? Wonder how it will turn out?_

* * *

><p>Kakashi let out a sigh as he step into the shower. He flinched at the initial cold spray from the shower head before relaxing his shoulders as the water grew warmer. Throwing his head back, he allowed the water to run through his silver hair, rinsing out all the dust and debris caught between the strands. Eyes opening, Kakashi stared down at his open palm, tracing the faded scars with his eyes, noting that his vision was no longer blurry.<p>

_Gotta __hand __it __to __Sakura, _he thought amusedly.

Clenching his hand into a fist, he turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. After drying himself, Kakashi pulled on a pair of grey pants and walked out to his bed. He knew that the strain felt during those three years was finally catching up to him. Looking at the photo above his bed, Kakashi smiled at the three smiling faces staring right back at him.

"I'm home, Obito, Rin, Minato-sensei," he murmured. "I'm finally home…"

He crawled onto his bed, sighing at the comfort of the soft blankets, and before he knew it he had fallen into slumber within the embrace of what he called home.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I'm somewhat disappointed by the lack of reviews in the previous chapter but oh well... Thank you to those two who did leave behind a review. Much appreciated :) I have to admit, I wouldn't have thought that I would update this quickly. But since I already had a chapter ready and waiting to be publish, I was like 'why not?'. Hope you guys enjoy this one. Hopefully it makes up for the lack of KakaSaku in the first chapter. Expect more KakaSaku moments to come in the future! Since I'm currently already working on Chapter Four, I'm anticipating that this story will roughly be around ten chapters at the most. Hopefully this story will be completed before the end of the year :) Please review and tell me what you guys think of this so far.

_-Setsuna_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

* * *

><p>"So where are we headed?" Sakura inquired.<p>

It was now 7.15PM as her and Kakashi walk along the nighttime streets of Konoha. To Sakura's surprise, Kakashi had not been late for their meeting. When Sakura commented on this, he jokily remarked, "Well, I can't keep a lady waiting, now can I?"

Sakura just laughed it off. She knew how much of a tease that statement had been, seeing as how he made her (along with Naruto and Sasuke) wait for hours on end back in their genin days, even at the most important times.

The nighttime atmosphere had been pleasant to say the least. Snow had begun to fall that evening, raining over the entire village with a blanket of coolness. This time Sakura had dressed, not to impress, but to keep herself warm. Over her usual red tank top she had on a crimson coloured jacket with a woolly collared hood. Her bottoms have been traded for a black skirt that reached just above her knees, although she still kept her standard knee-length boots. At first Sakura debated on whether she should dress in fancier attire. However, after a long self argument, she decided it was best not to. After all, a dinner outing with Kakashi was nothing too out of the blue, right? Seeing Kakashi dressed in a similar casual manner had proven her decision to be a wise one.

Kakashi, discarding the ANBU armor plates, had traded it for a plain grey and black varsity jacket. Around his face and his Sharingan eye was his red ANBU scarf, which flowed behind him freely. Despite that fact that his scarf was used to cover his facial features, Sakura had a gut feeling that he was still wearing that damn mask underneath. She had never seen him without the mask, ever. Perhaps, tonight would be the day that she'd got to witness the sight of Hatake Kakashi's face exposed. If she paid close attention, of course. After all, Kakashi was known for his cunningness.

"You'll see," was Kakashi's reply.

In the end, he led her to the east end of the village. Surprisingly enough, she noticed that there was hardly anyone around this part of Konoha. There was nothing out of the ordinary, though. However, Sakura couldn't help but notice the slightly worn down building that stood out amongst the isolated street. The billboard overhead the door read "Paradise".

"What is this place?" Sakura asked.

A gloved hand slowly pushed her forward. "You'll see." Kakashi's eyes crinkled into a smile. "Let's go." Walking forward, Kakashi slid open the shoji screen door. He stepped aside and allowed the pink haired kunoichi through. "After you," Kakashi said charmingly, making Sakura giggle slightly.

It was a lot different than she originally thought. At first, Sakura thought that Kakashi was going to lead her to some run-down bar, however instead she had been brought to a place which is similar to a restaurant, if not, _was _a restaurant. The place, although small, was nicely lit up with candles situated on every table. There were only a few customers present, most of which were couples as far as Sakura could tell, along with a male bartender wiping champagne glasses and a few waitresses standing around.

One of the waitresses dressed in a plain purple kimono came up to them. "Welcome to Paradise," she greeted while her eyes roamed over them.

Sakura couldn't help but noticed that her eyes lingered on Kakashi longer than necessary.

"Table for two, please," Kakashi said velvety.

The woman bowed before leading them towards a lone table situated beside the window. Once they sat down, the waitress handed them both a menu. Turning to Kakashi, she asked, "What drinks would you like to have?"

"Water is fine," the masked ninja replied without looking up from the menu.

"I'd like a glass of orange juice," Sakura added, ignoring the fact that the waitress seemed to be only addressing Kakashi, completely disregarding her presence.

The waitress nodded and left.

Sakura held back the urge to stick a tongue out at the departing woman. Picking up the menu, she opened up to a page and was astounded by the number of dishes available. Ranging from dango to sashimi, this was heaven.

"Order whatever you like. My treat," Kakashi spoke up and gave her a small smile.

Sakura's eyes glinted at this. "I didn't know there was a place like this here in Konoha."

Kakashi looked to his left to see a group of shinobi walk in and situate themselves down on a rounded table. "Well, let's just say this restaurant has been around ever since I was with my genin team," he remarked, eyes not straying from the newcomers.

A slender pink eyebrow rose. "I've never heard you speak of your genin team before," she pointed out.

"Oh, is that so?" Kakashi replied amusedly, returning his gaze back to her. "Well, I guess I could say that… you reminded me of one of my teammates."

Before Sakura could comment, the waitress returned, carrying a glass of water and orange juice. Placing the beverages down, she got out a notepad. "May I take your order?"

"Ahh, yes." Kakashi returned his gaze back down to his menu. "I'll have a bowl of miso soup and teriyaki chicken." He looked at Sakura. "What about you, Sakura?"

"Oh, erm…" Flustered at the two pair of eyes staring at her, one with indifference and the other slightly glaring, Sakura glanced down at her menu and picked out a few random dishes that looked appealing. "I'll have tempura and… okonomiyaki."

"I'll be back shortly with your food." The waitress nodded and left once again to hand in the order to the chef.

"So…" Sakura started. "What were your teammates like?"

A wave of reminiscence flashed across Kakashi eyes. "Well… there was Obito, Rin and Minato-sensei," he murmured slowly, taking a sip of his water.

Sakura mimicked his action and drank a bit of her orange juice, grimacing at the slightly sour taste. "I suppose this… Rin person was the one who I reminded you of?" Sakura carefully chose her words, noting that this was most likely a touchy subject for her ex-sensei.

Kakashi nodded. "Ahh." He paused. "She was a medic-nin."

"What a coincidence," the pink haired kunoichi muttered.

"Rin always worried about us, healing all the injuries, even the very minor ones, that we sustained from missions. She always broke up the fights that me and Obito start." A low chuckle resounded from his throat at the memories.

"Obito…?"

Silence washed over them.

Sakura shifted in her seat, feeling slightly awkward and looked down at her plate. Perhaps she shouldn't have asked, Sakura cursed herself.

Kakashi shifted his position. No longer was he looking at her but instead out the window into the snowy depths of the streets. His lone coal-grey eye uncovered by his scarf stared out through the glass.

Although Sakura wasn't as good as reading people's expressions, she couldn't help but noticed the look of remorse flashing across his eyes. Immediately, she felt guilty.

"Here are your orders." The same waitress returned, carrying four dishes.

Sakura mentally thanked her for her arrival as it had broken the awkward silence induced between her and Kakashi.

The waitress placed the dishes down and the scent of the delicious looking food wafted through their noses. "Enjoy your meal." With that, the woman was gone.

Picking up her pair of chopsticks, Sakura first tried the tempura. Although the food was indeed delicious, it tasted dry and unsatisfying on her tongue due to the mood change between them. Sakura, through her small bites, glanced up at the Copy Ninja, noting that he never shifted from his position of looking out the window. His food left untouched.

Sakura resisted the urge to sigh in disappointment. _Me and my big mouth… _

"Obito was…"

The kunoichi's eyes widened at the sudden voice that spoke up. She looked up to see it was Kakashi who had spoken.

"I guess he would have been best described as… my best friend," Kakashi settled for saying. "He was always tardy and such a cry-baby… I disliked him at first just because of that. Always making up excuses when he was late." Kakashi chuckled somewhat bitterly.

This caught Sakura's attention.

"But I guess it was thanks to him… that I became the person that I am today," Kakashi continued. He looked at the pink haired kunoichi, who silently listened to every one of his words thoughtfully. "Naruto reminds me of him."

"Kakashi-sensei…" Sakura didn't know what to say. She was however curious, though. What happened to him… and Rin, was what she wanted to ask. Sakura remembered Kakashi once mentioning that the names of his friends were engraved on the memorial stone in the village. From that alone, she assumed that they must have been K.I.A. But how? Many questions flew around in the kunoichi's head that threatened to burst out any second. However, for the sake of Kakashi, she kept them in. She never heard of him talk so openly about his teammates before. That only symbolizes how much he trusted her, she realized. The trust that he had willingly given her… Sakura didn't want to lose that.

"So how has Naruto been lately?" Kakashi suddenly changed the topic, which Sakura was grateful for.

She smiled and took a bit of her okonomiyaki. Swallowing, she said, "Training as hard as ever. He said that he'll definitely surpass you before the day you come back from your mission." Sakura let out a small laugh at that.

Kakashi's eye crinkled up into a smile. "He sure is something," he murmured. "What about you, Sakura?"

Sakura blinked. "Me?" She pointed at herself as if there was another Sakura around. "Well… I'm a jounin now. I mostly work at the hospital, filling in for Tsunade-shishou and Shizune-senpai when they're busy. But recently, there's not much to do since everyone's returning from missions and all. I'm just training nowadays. But I guess that get a bit boring by myself," she muttered the last part quietly to herself.

Kakashi, however with a great sense of hearing, heard. "Hm… jounin, huh? You've come far, Sakura. I'm impressed," he drawled out, noting the light blush that formed on her face at the compliment.

"T-thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, flattered by his compliment.

"Kakashi."

"Pardon?" Sakura's eyes widened.

A smirk graced across Kakashi's masked features. "You're no longer my student, Sakura. I don't think there's the need for that honorific," he spoke velvety. "Just Kakashi would suffice."

"Oh…" Sakura looked down, somewhat embarrassed. Here she was calling the man that she knew for seven years sensei and now suddenly she had to change?

"K-Kakashi…" She tested his name on her lips.

"Hm?" Kakashi raised a lazy eyebrow.

"Nothing!" The kunoichi smiled nervously. "Ehehe…"

Inwardly, the silver haired shinobi smiled. Sakura's still the same as ever, he noted. "Hm, I wonder what a jounin like you is made of," he suddenly declared, capturing her attention. Turning to her confused expression, he smirked. "So how about it? Want to take me up on a little challenge?"

Viridian eyes widened a fraction. "A-are you sure, Kakashi-se… Kakashi?" Her voice stumbled over her words.

"Hm, what do you mean?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow before smiling. "I would love to spar someone of your caliber."

Sakura couldn't help but feel immensely touched by his words. Even though it may not have meant much to him, but to her, it meant the world. Hatake Kakashi, ever since she was a genin, had been someone that she wanted to strive to become one day, someone who she wanted recognition from. It was difficult with Naruto and Sasuke back then stealing the spotlight, leaving her watching in the crowd but now she had finally gotten the chance to show him what she was capable of. So, having him request a sparring match with her had proven to her that Kakashi had somehow recognized her ability. That alone, made her ecstatic.

Slowly, a smile graced upon her face.

"Kakashi, I-"

"Well, if it isn't my Eternal Rival, Kakashi and the Springtime Blossom of Youth, Sakura!" A loud male's voice interrupted her speech.

Kakashi and Sakura, who got startled by the sudden interruption, turned to see Team Gai standing before them.

Even after three years of his absence, Gai and Lee haven't changed one bit, Kakashi noted dully. _Still sporting that ridiculous green spandex as well as that bowl haircut… _He thought before nodding to them in greeting.

"So, Kakashi," Gai drawled out, none too quietly for Kakashi's taste. "What's a guy like you doing in a place like this with Konoha's Springtime Blossom?" A look of false realization flashed across his eyes as he let out a loud gasp. "Don't tell me, you have succeeded in plucking the petals of this beautiful flower?"

Kakashi gave him a dead-panned look while Sakura looked confused. _Plucking the… what? _

"Oh! My poor Lee!" Tears streamed down the green beast's face. "Looks like my Eternal Rival has once again conquered over us!" he cried out dramatically. Grabbing both hands onto his precious student's shoulders, Gai stared into Lee's eyes intensely. "Listen to me, my dearest Lee. You must fight with all that you have if you want to win her back from Kakashi's grasp. Got it?"

Lee's bowl-cut hair bobbed up and down furiously as he absorbed all the words that were given to him by his sensei. "Understood, Gai-sensei!" he hollered. "If I cannot successfully win back Sakura-san's heart then I shall do a thousand laps around Konoha on my hands _while _carrying Tenten!" He pumped his fist as fire raged across his eyes.

"W-wait a minute, Lee!" Tenten sputtered from his side. "Don't include me in your ridiculous decisions!" She placed both hands on her hips and gave a stern look towards him, the buns on either side of her head bouncing in response to her annoyance.

"Hn," came from the remaining member of Team Gai, Neji. He turned to both Kakashi and Sakura and nodded. "Kakashi-senpai, Sakura."

"Did you guys just return from your mission, Neji-san?" Sakura asked politely. She didn't really know Hyuuga Neji personally, however did respect him.

Neji nodded. "Gai-sensei decided that we all stop by and have dinner here before reporting to the Hokage," he said stoically.

"We didn't think that we'd run into you guys, though," Tenten added with a smile.

Sakura smiled back. "Would you like to join us then?" she asked cheerfully, oblivious to the sour look that Kakashi sent her way.

"Ooh! Sakura-san, you are so generous!" Lee cried, tears streaming down his eyes as he shook his fist. "We'd love to take you up on that offer!"

Sakura giggled.

The night had been interesting to say that least. Not only had Sakura learnt a bit more about Kakashi's hidden history but she had also gotten to know Tenten a bit more. Lee and Gai, of course, were conversing to each other in loud voices about youth, to which all of them pointedly ignored. Neji and Kakashi seemed to have engaged in a political conversation. Tenten, however, was blabbering to Sakura about the magnificence of weapons, to which Sakura smiled and nodded in response.

"Here are your orders." The same waitress that served both Kakashi and Sakura returned with Team Gai's food. Sakura could almost see the hearts forming in the female's eyes as she noticed not only Kakashi, but Neji as well. When she handed Tenten her dish though, the hearts were placed with a piercing glare before walking off.

"What's with her?" Tenten blinked, confused.

Sakura shrugged. "Who knows? She's been giving Kakashi the looks ever since we came in, though."

Tenten's eyes glinted mischievously. "Hoho… is that a hint of jealousy I hear, Sakura?" she asked teasingly.

The viridian-eyed kunoichi choked on her juice. "Huh? What are you talking about, Tenten-san?" She didn't like the look that Tenten gave her, not one bit.

Tenten giggled. "I'm just saying. Why else would you be out on a date with Kakashi-sensei?" she asked cheekily. Her doe-brown eyes widened with excitement.

"I'm not on a date with Kakashi," Sakura retorted firmly, crossing her arms.

"Hm… _Kakashi_, huh?" If possible, Tenten's eyes grew wider. "Since when were you on first name bias with him?"

Sakura felt a blush threatening to crawl upon her face. Knowing that words would not work on the weapon mistress, Sakura just settled for burying her head into her crossed arms on the table. The sound of the bun haired woman's laughter still rang fresh in her ears.

"Just kidding, Sakura." Tenten winked.

The rest of the night went by at the blink of an eye. Sakura and Kakashi found themselves, after filling up their stomachs, saying their goodbyes to Team Gai as they head off to report in their final mission for the year, before enjoying the holidays.

Sakura shivered slightly, noting the drop in temperature in the short time span that they had been inside.

"It's getting late," Kakashi remarked. "I'll walk you home."

Sakura nodded, too cold to refuse the offer that was given. It was nice to have company, after all.

The streets were lit with lampposts, which were coated in a pile of snow. The snow reached her ankles, numbing her feet completely. Sakura made a mental note to herself to buy a pair of boots that actually covered her toes.

"Well, that was a… interesting encounter," Kakashi sudden spoke up. "I can see they haven't changed a bit. Although I heard that Neji-kun made ANBU."

Sakura nodded. Wasn't news to her.

Kakashi's lone coal-grey orb looked down at the pink haired woman. "Have you thought about joining ANBU yourself?"

Sakura's eyes widened slightly. _Did he just…? _She thought incredulously. There was no way, right? Kakashi didn't just imply that she was worthy of ANBU, did he? Eyes resuming their normal size, Sakura glanced down towards the snow as if it was the most interesting thing on earth.

"I don't think I'm good enough for it," she murmured.

The masked-nin sighed at her pessimisms. _Always the same,_ Kakashi thought. He always hated it when she doubted her abilities. He always preferred the spit-fire kunoichi that he had always known and liked.

They arrived at Sakura's apartment a few minutes later. Kakashi glanced around, noting that she lived not too far from him. Probably just a ten minute walk away. _This could be convenient, _Kakashi mused.

"Well, we're here," Sakura declared softly.

Kakashi could tell that she was still thinking about his words. He smiled and without warning tucked a piece of her hair behind her ears.

Sakura froze at his sudden action.

"Smile, Sakura," he said with his lone eye crinkling up into a smile. "You look a lot better when you do," he murmured, tracing circles over her cheek with his thumb.

Sakura didn't even have to look in a mirror to know that she was blushing over his actions. "Kakashi, I…" She found her words cut short by the look that he gave her – the look of faith. He believed in her, Sakura realized. The man who she admired secretly all these years had faith in her. Slowly, a smile formed on her face.

"That's more like it." Kakashi's eyes lit up with pleasure.

"Kakashi," Sakura called softly, smile unwavering.

"Hm?"

Without warning, Sakura, using her monstrous strength, pulled Kakashi down to her eye-level by his scarf. The shinobi's coal-grey eye widened as he felt a pair of soft lips coming in contact with the skin just below his exposed eye. The smell of strawberries coated in fresh snow drifted into his nasal cavity. It smelt good, he noted while feeling a light blush surfacing to his cheekbones. If it wasn't for the scarf, Sakura would have seen it.

Sakura's lips lingered on his skin a few seconds longer than it should before she retracted from his face.

Kakashi noticed that her smile from before had widened a fraction.

"Thanks for tonight," was all that she said before she rushed inside her apartment, slamming the door shut.

As soon as she got inside, Sakura leaned her back against the door and slowly slid down, collapsing on the floor. Her hand shakily reached up to touch her quivering lips with her fingers lightly.

"Kakashi…" she murmured, recalling the feel of his hot skin against her lips and the smell of pine forest and cinnamon.

She smiled and closed her eyes in bliss. _Thank you for everything._

And thus the night closed upon the two shinobi in a blanket of snowy silence.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

Merry Christmas all you readers out there! Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, although the story still has yet reached Christmas itself. It will soon, probably in two or three more chapters. And although I have mentioned that this fic will be finished by the end of the year, I highly doubt it will with the rate my writing is going. I apologize if Sakura may seem a bit fragile and weak in these first few chapters. However I can promise you that from Chapter Four and onwards she'll be back to her spit-fire personality, whom we've all come to know and love! :) Hope you liked this chapter! Please leave a review. Tell me what you think of this chapter. Cya!

_-Setsuna_


End file.
